Swordmaster and Assassin
by Kageyoshi Hashirama
Summary: "Ah, bella mia, I was noticing that your basket is particularly heavy. Why don't I take your burden from you?" Federico thinks he can woo any woman he likes, but can he woo this one? Her clothes are covered in hay, and her hands calloused from work, but she may prove to be the one person standing between him and death. FedericoxOC AU
1. Chapter 1

_This is the only time I will post a disclaimer for my work. Hopefully Fanfiction doesn't remove this again for no reason…_

_Disclaimer: I do not, and will never, own Assassin's Creed 2, no matter how much I want to. _

"Ei, _fratello_," Federico Auditore nudged his younger brother, Ezio, as his eyes stayed fixed on a tall, svelte figure weaving through the crowd with ease.

"What now?" Ezio groaned; he had been eyeing another woman in the crowd who had disappeared the moment he took his eyes off of her to turn to his brother.

The oldest Auditore son merely grinned, "Now that is a beauty."

The woman he was referring to was a strange sight in their dark-haired society. Slightly taller than the rest of the women he knew, the woman sported light brown hair, nearly a dark honey that shone gold in the sunlight. And though she was facing away from them, the brothers could see that she was an exotic sort of beauty, perhaps a foreigner to Firenze, or at least her parents were not. Her long, honey hair was tied in an intricate braid and thrown over her back as she perused the groceries available at the stand.

Clad in a conservative crimson gown, the woman kindly thanked the grocer before heading on her way, groceries in hand. While covering her body up until her neck and wrists with no skin bared, and even her hands were covered in modest but well-made lace gloves, it was obvious that she had a lithe, yet well curved body. It was not as lush as Federico would have liked, but when the women of Firenze were either taken, lusting after your brother, or have already been spoiled by yours truly, beggars could not be choosers.

Her eyes, as far as Federico could see, were a deep hazel, almost gold in the sun. So it was with confidence, and a little cockiness, that he patted his brother on the back, "Let your _fratello_ show you how to court the ladies, Ezio."

Ezio snorted, "Have at it, brother, I personally would have sought out Christina again."

"Ah, you must understand, _fratello_, curves, behinds and bosoms are not all that women are made of. See, that body, while lacking in all aspects that I mentioned earlier, does have charm. Watch the way her hips sway as she walks, and the grace of her hand as-"

"Brother, it is obvious you have run out of women to charm into your bed," Ezio sniggered at Federico's stricken face.

The older Auditore brother snorted, "Nothing of the sort. I am merely expanding my horizons. I honestly cannot fathom the thought of being single my entire life, now can I? I certainly do not entertain younger girls, and most of the women our age are married, engaged, or otherwise not our type. Loosen your expectations for once, _fratello_, you may be surprised." And so Federico stepped forward and strode away, falling into step with the woman who spared him a surprised glance out of the corner of her eye.

"Auditore," she whispered as he stopped her. Luckily, the crowds were long gone, and the sun was quickly setting, so there was no one to complain that he blocked their way.

"Ah, _bella mia_, I was noticing that your basket is particularly heavy. Why don't I take your burden from you?" Federico extended a hand to take the grocery filled basket on the woman's arm.

She looked down at it, and looked up again, "Ah, I will not bother you with my basket, Messere Auditore. My house is close by."

Unfazed, Federico tried again, "It is bad manners to allow a woman to carry such a burden, allow me."

Sighing, the woman stared at him for a long while before moving to remove her burden, "Please do not drop anything. Thank you."

"Of course not, it is of no burden," Federico smiled brilliantly, with the woman smiling weakly at him before moving again, the Auditore son keeping pace with her surprisingly fast pace. "Am I allowed to assume that I will bring this to your house for you?"

"Yes, you are, and you assume correctly," then she turned to him and her tawny eyes hardened, "But if you think this is going to get you into my bed, or vice versa, you should return my basket to me now, and be on your way, for I will not be another notch in the bedpost for an Auditore son."

Taken aback, Federico angled his head slightly downwards. While she was tall for a woman, he could still see the top of her head, although he did not need to look down as much as he would for another woman. Surprised and shocked by the woman's sudden iciness, Federico scratched the back of his neck, "Nothing of the sort, I assure you. You must have been hearing rumours about me, I suppose?"

She continued walking once more, though at a slower pace than before, "Indeed, though I do not know the city's nobility enough to discern which one you are. That emblem on your belt shows you are from the Auditore family, and the whispering of the women near me has solidified my suspicions."

"Very astute, my lady," Federico smiled, this woman was beginning to be quite an interesting figure. "I am Federico Auditore, oldest of the Auditore siblings, and older of the two Auditore brothers you know of."

"I see, pleasure to meet your acquaintance then," she paused for a while, "I suppose it would be bad form if I withheld my name from you…" She looked up at him, and smiled gently, "I am Amaranta Valdez da Oviedo."

Federico's eyes widened in surprise again, "Ah, the Valdez family."

Amaranta's honey eyes cut to him again, "I won't tolerate any unsavoury remarks towards my family."

"I was not going to say any," Federico held up both hands in a placating motion, as much as he dared of course, with the basket on one arm. "I enjoy Messere Valdez's glass work. Most pleasing to the eye, and my family have bought several pieces from him."

"Oh," the Spanish woman looked abashed, "My apologies, messere Auditore. I-it's just…"

The Auditore son smiled sadly, "Do not worry. Not everyone is disinclined towards your family being in Firenze."

Amaranta was silent for a while before looking up and smiling softly, "_Gracias_, _signore Auditore_."

"Please, call me Federico. Messere Auditore, or Signore Auditore, is my father," Federico smiled charmingly, but was disappointed to only see her chuckle softly instead of blushing furiously.

"_Lo siento_, Federico Auditore, but it is against my custom to refer to a man so casually, especially a man I have but met only 5 minutes ago," Amaranta smirked cheekily and strode ahead. "Here is my home. Thank you for helping me with my basket, Federico Auditore. Safe travels."

As she was about to turn and open her door, Federico stopped her, "Wait. I would like to see you again."

Amaranta raised an eyebrow and set the basket, which she had taken from him without his notice, on the ground, "Oh? Whatever for? As I said earlier, if you are doing this so that you may bed me, you should leave now."

"I merely wish to get to know you better, _bella scura_. And no, I am not trying to get you into my bed….yet, anyway."

"At least you are honest," the Spanish woman snorted, how she made even that action look ladylike baffled Federico, "Very well, you may return if you can answer me this. Who said the quote 'Be as you wish to seem'? If you can tell me this, I will allow you to return. If you give me the wrong answer, do not approach me again. Likewise, if you do not know the answer, do not return. Simple as that."

Federico stood at the steps leading up to the house, stunned at what Amaranta just said. But if he found her interesting enough to follow, even after her initially vicious statement, then she was worth doing some studying for. "_Va bene_. 'Be as you wish to seem', yes?"

"_S__í__,_ tell me who said that quote, and I will meet you here when you appear on my doorstep," Amaranta nodded and opened her door, about to close it behind her when Federico stopped the door.

"I will see you at dawn tomorrow, count on it," he flashed a charming smile before letting her close the door again.

Amaranta leaned against the wooden door, listening to his footsteps until they faded away, "Hmm, such confidence."

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"_Padre! Padre!"_ Federico burst into his father's study, although he made sure that the patriarch was alone first, of course. It would not do for his father to be entertaining guests, or worse, his mother, when he asked his question.

Giovanni Auditore looked up and smiled amusedly at his eldest son, who breathed heavily as he leaned against his father's antique desk, "Yes, Federico?"

"_Padre_," the young man began, only to stop and think about how he was going to word his inquiry. "Er, do you know who said 'Be as you wish to seem'?"

Taken aback by the sudden quiz, Giovanni stood up and peered at his son, who tried to hold his father's gaze, but failed when he scratched his neck in anxiety. "Is there a reason why you wish to know this, son?" a teasing glint entered his eyes and Federico sputtered.

"No, it's nothing like- Alright, fine. It's for a woman, _padre_," Federico admitted quietly, though he checked to make sure his family members were not around; not his sister, not his brother, and not his mother –heaven forbid, not his mother.

Giovanni let loose a deep laugh in his chest, "Aha! I knew it! As much as I would like to give you the answer to that question, Federico, I believe your lady might appreciate it more if you did some studying on your own. That being said, I, too, do not know the answer."

Deflating visibly, Federico slumped into the seat in front of Giovanni's desk, "But-but _padre_! I told her I would have the answer by dawn tomorrow! How am I supposed to come up with the answer then?!"

"By reading, son," the sides of Giovanni's eyes crinkled with mirth and amusement, "By doing a lot of reading. Off you go, dawn is in but twelve hours."

The scion of the Auditore family looked stricken, "B-but! Can't you at least give me a clue, father?!"

Giovanni shrugged, "I am unable to answer what I do not know, Federico. Now go, the family library is quite large, and you have a lot of reading ahead of you."

Nearly pouting at his father, Federico left, but not before shooting another hopeful glance, which was met with an expectant stare. Once the door latch fell closed behind Federico, Giovanni allowed himself to laugh until his sides hurt, "What a woman, to ask him such a question. Perhaps such a lady will be good for him, instead of all those airheaded ladies he beds normally."

"What woman?" Maria raised an eyebrow as she entered her husband's study. Giovanni merely shook his head and approached her, lacing his arms around her slender waist. They were content to hold each other for the longest time, until Giovanni raised his head.

"By the way, _mio amo_r, who said 'Be as you wish to seem'?"

His wife stared at him incredulously for a few heartbeats, "Is it Federico again?"

Then the duo sighed simultaneously, "He certainly knows how to pick them."

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And so Federico spent the entire night searching through the Auditore family library. The quote sounded unfamiliar to the Italian, but if his father did not know the one who said it, the person would likely not be any local writer or philosopher. But after nearly turning the library upside down, he finally found out who said it.

"Socrates!" he yelled into the still morning air of the library. Looking behind him at the window, he saw that it was still dark, probably in the wee hours before sunrise, and decided to rest for a bit. "An hour or two could not hurt…" he muttered to himself and leaned on his arms, quickly falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Amaranta woke the next morning with a start, rubbing her head as she sat up. As she slipped out of bed and washed up, she could not help but feel like she was forgetting something important. Even after changing into her day clothes and making breakfast, the thought remained elusive, frustrating her up to the point where she was about to growl out loud.

She looked out the window and saw the sun beginning its ascent into the sky, the horizon blocking out half of the bright orange orb. Even then, it was not until she was feeding the family horse that the thought struck her smack dab in the face.

"Ah, the oldest Auditore son," she snapped her fingers in triumph, causing the bay stallion to stare at her out of the corner of his eye like she was mad. The Spanish woman spared a look at the quickly rising sun and sighed, "I suppose he lost the bet. Pity, he was a good looking fellow."

"Who was a good looking fellow, _hija_?" the deep, baritone voice caused her to spin around, the feed bucket still in her hands as she watched her father approach her. Tall, slim and tanned, Adan Valdez was a renowned glassmaker in Firenze and the neighbouring Tuscany, his pieces finding homes in the houses of well known families like the Medici and Auditore families.

"Federico Auditore, _padre_," she replied, turning back to the insistent stallion to pour more feed into the trough.

The man seemed to be stunned as he took in what she said, "Then you were successful?"

"No," Amaranta seemed slightly abashed as she said this. "I admit, my interest in him might have escalated to the point where I treated him like many of my other suitors back in Oviedo."

A bellowing laugh answered her and Adan clapped a hand on his daughter's shoulder, "That's my girl. Regardless, Federico is not the type to give up on a lady so easily. He will return, even though he has passed the deadline. We will succeed in our mission yet, _hija_, do not worry."

Amaranta cracked a small smile at her jovial father as he turned around and headed back into the house, probably readying himself for another day of glass making. Performing the basic house chores never bored Amaranta as it would other young women her age; she found that spending time with the horses at the nearby stable, where she worked as a stable hand, was therapeutic and never wanted for more. Of course, there was her little hobby that she told no one about, which was just as well, because she knew how society would take to a young woman who knew how to defend herself adequately: not well.

Suddenly, her ears caught heavy breathing and thunderous footsteps heading in the direction of her house, and immediately she sank into the morning shadows, a hand on the dagger on her waist. It was only when she heard the angry mutterings in a familiar voice that she lowered her guard. "Federico Auditore?"

The young man's head snapped up, and wide eyes turned itself on her before he composed himself to smile at her, "Ah, Amaranta. My apologies, I may have spent too much time in my family library."

She crossed her arms, her face taking on an impassive expression, "Regardless, you have missed the deadline that I have stated."

"Ah, would it make a difference if I told you who said the quote?" Federico splayed his hands open, as though pleading with her.

Amused by his sudden antics, Amaranta raised a brow, "Very well. Who said 'Be as you wish to seem'?"

A grin crossed the young man's handsome face, and at that moment Amaranta understood why he was so popular amongst the women of Firenze, young and old. "Socrates. Socrates was the one who first said the quote," he said triumphantly, his chocolate-amber eyes twinkling in the gentle sunlight. Amaranta, taken aback by his answer, could only let her jaw hang open in complete and utter surprise. The man had to have gone through the entirety of his family library to procure that little bit of information. Socrates was not well known in Italia, not even in Spain, and so the fact that he had researched the answer, well.

"It-," Amaranta coughed to regain her composure, "It is correct."

"Does that mean that I am allowed to pursue this venture of ours?" that same blinding grin lit up his face, prompting the Spanish woman to return a smile.

"I would hardly call this a venture, but yes," gold met chocolate, and matching smiles stretched across both their faces.


	3. Chapter 3

After that little scene, Amaranta went back to grooming the family horse. Federico trailed behind her like a lost puppy. He watched her silently, taking in her movements as she brushed the stallion's chestnut coat, taking in its gleaming form in the early morning light. She was clad in a pair of breeches and a loose tunic, her hair pulled back into a tight braid closely resembling how she wore it the previous day. Amaranta looked different, yet she exuded a sense of confidence and femininity at the same time.

"So, _bella,_ what is it that you do all day? Save for shopping, that is," Federico leaned against the door post, trying not to get in her way as she walked around the large chestnut stallion.

Barely looking up from her work, Amaranta answered him, "I work at the city stables: mucking, feeding, and grooming. I even take the horses out at times."

"The stables? I happen to frequent it, in fact. But I'm afraid I've never seen you before." Federico straightened up, genuinely surprised by her answer.

This time, Amaranta looked up at him, amused by his reaction, "I highly doubt one would go looking for a dirty stable hand to court. Also, it is likely that you were busy with some other girl, enough so that you were too preoccupied to notice a stable hand saddling up your horse."

Federico took a leap of faith, letting a flirty smirk cross his face, "But I would now, I highly doubt that I would miss a woman like you."

"Charming." She drawled out in response, while she turned back to the stallion who looked like he was about to doze off where he stood. "Banya, don't fall asleep. You'll fall on me." The chestnut's eyes fluttered open lazily, and shook his head. Shifting around as though to wake him up.

"Has he fallen on you before?" Inquired Federico, as a curious expression crept upon his face.

"Banya has, many times in fact." Amaranta let out her first chuckle as she began to reminisce at the memory. "The first time he did so was when he was a little foal, leaning against me as he found his legs. He stumbled a few times, and I expect that he found my lap to be a curious place to step on." Banya tossed his head and snorted, as though laughing at her.

The eldest Auditore grinned widely at the two's interaction. "It sounds like you were a delightful child, _bella._"

Snorting lightly, Amaranta gave Banya a gentle pat and stepped away from the stallion. "You do not know me that well Federico; flattery will not work on me." The stallion huffed at the lack of attention on him and rushed past the two of them towards the small paddocks.

"Banya seems to be quite smart." Federico commented idly, as he watched the horse go past. Then, he ever so quickly moved, in order to dodge a kick from the affronted male. Amaranta did her best to stifle her laughter, but failed as Federico tipped over a bucket and went arse over tea kettle onto a huge pile of hay. Banya tossed his head in victory and trotted out, head and tail both held high. Amaranta braced herself on a beam, clutching her stomach as she laughed uncontrollably.

Federico groaned from his position, nearly hidden in the bale of hay. He attempted to free himself, but to no avail, unable to free himself from the hay. Finally calming down, Amaranta staggered over to him and held out a hand for him to grasp. Only getting a chance to suck in a quick breath, she felt Federico pull her into the bale of hay with him, instead of using her to pull himself out.


	4. Chapter 4

Draped over his lanky body, Amaranta lay in shock for a heartbeat before wriggling off him. "Federico!" she accused with a laugh, dodging the Auditore son's flailing arms as best as she could.

The brunette simply grinned at her and relaxed, turning his head to beam at her, "I like it."

"Huh?" the Spanish girl shifted her head to look at him in puzzlement. "What is it that you like?"

A lightly calloused hand grasped her weathered own, surprising Amaranta. He had more callouses than she had expected, for a firstborn son of a noble family. Federico let out a light laugh, "I like it. The way you say my name."

"Ah," Amaranta stuttered, a soft blush rising up her throat and onto her cheeks, and she turned away to hide her quickly reddening face from the boy-man's golden gaze. "I…"

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable," he waved his hand, quick to chase away her embarrassment. "I just…all the girls in the town have a local accent, but you do not. My name sounds foreign on your tongue. And I like it."

Her fingers unconsciously tightening on his own, Amaranta turned her head to look at him out of the corner of her eye, cheeks still stained a light pink, "Well, then I shall call you by your first name more often, then?"

A sly smile quickened on Federico's lips and he shimmied closer to her, his lips near her ear, "Please do, _bella_."

His low voice sent shivers down the Valdez girl's spine, her cheeks blossoming into red once more, now that she was aware of their close proximity. The heat of his palm in hers seemed to send waves of warmth up her arm, and down her body, infusing her with a sense of comfort that she had never found in the presence of someone who was not her family. She had been dismayed to know that the eldest Auditore son was her target, but now that she had gotten to know him a mite better, her mission did not seem so daunting after all. If only she could will away the fire in her cheeks and throat that threatened to have her stammering and shivering in front of the handsome boy-man like a simpering lady.

"Ah! Don't do that," she jerked away from him a second too late for it to be anything other than a ploy to play hard to get, Federico thought. Though this woman may be a tough nut to crack, Federico was certain that he would enjoy teasing her all the more, if nothing but to see her blush and stammer. He got the feeling that she was not the type to do so very often, seeing how abrasive she was when he first met her.


End file.
